Illuminated illusory action device



Aug 27, 1940. JACKSON 2,212,642

ILLUMINATED ILLUSORY ACTION DEVICE Filed June 10, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet lINVENTOR. JAMES E. JACKSO MM, mrm

M ATTORNEYfi Aug. 27, 1940.

J. R. JACKSON ILLUMINATED ILLUSORY ACTION DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FiledJune 10, 1938 IIIIIIIIIIIIIIJIIIIII;

INVENTOR. dAMEs R. JAu so! mwmwm ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 27, 1940 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE James R. Jackson, Green Bay, Wis., assignor toAssociated Designers, Inc., Green Bay, Wis., a corporation of WisconsinApplication June 10, 1938, Serial No. 212,945

8 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in illuminated illusory actiondevices.

It is the object of the invention to give a static symbol the appearanceof motion to attract the attention of an observer for advertising andother purposes by intermittently rendering its shadow apparent bysubjecting it to side lighting in an organization such that the lightwill not destroythe form or proportions of the letters or symbols 10illuminated.

More specifically stated, it is proposed to provide a sign or symboldifierentiated in sharp relief and contrasting color from a light tonedbackground and subjected to abrupt changes in relative lighting asbetween background illumination and illumination from the front andside. By the intermittent flashing of light laterally upon the face of adesign in relief, and particularly where the face of the line is insharp and relatively dark contrast to arelatively light background, theshadows thereby created are rapidly protracted and retracted by theflashing of the light to produce a startling effect of motion in thedesign without making any apparent change in the size or proportionsthereof. The direction of the illusion of motion is determined by theplacement of the light, and by flashing light alternately from oppositesides of a design in relief the apparent extent of the motion can bedoubled. Moreover, if lights at several sides of the relief design areflashed successively the design may be given the appearance of agyratory movement.

By intermittently illuminating the background to eliminate shadows whileleaving the side light in continuous operation, similar effects may beproduced.

Other objects will be apparent from the following disclosure.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in perspective showing an appropriate embodiment ofthe invention.

Figure 2 is a detail view showing the appearance of the sign when viewedby natural or other background illumination.

Figure 3 is a view of the same sign as it appears when illuminated fromone of its sides.

Figure 4 is a view in perspective showing a modified embodiment of theinvention in which gyratory motion may be simulated by the successiveoperation of flashing lamps at several sides of the relief objective, asby an appropriate switch.

Figure 5 is a detail View taken in section on line 5-5 through thedevice shown in Fig. 4.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary detail view in front elevation of a singlesymbol representing a modified embodiment of the invention.

Figure 7 is a view taken in cross section on the line '|-'l of Figure 6.I

Figure 8 is a view like Figure 6 showing a further modified embodimentof the invention.

Figure 9 is a detail view taken in section on the line 99 of Figure 8.

Figure 10 is a view in horizontal section and 10 perspective throughapparatus representing a further modified embodiment of the invention.

Like parts are identified by the same reference characters throughoutthe several views.

In the simple embodiment of the invention se- 16 lected forexemplification thereof in Fig. 1, there is a base at 6 upon which ismounted a lamp housing I with a window at 8 directed from the sidetoward the face of the panel I0 upon which the letters H and symbol l2are disposed in re- 20 lief. The shading on the face of the lettersindicates that such face is preferably dark with reference to thebackground panel ID which is preferably White or of other light color.

Within the lamp housing I is a lamp l5 be- 25 tween which and its socketI6 is interposed a flasher unit I! of any desired conventionalarrangement. In fact, the flasher unit is intended merely to indicateone means of intermittently operating the light for periodicallyilluminating 30 the face of the panel l0 and the letters mounted inrelief thereon. Any appropriate switch operated mechanically orotherwise may be used at any point in the lamp circuit.

The device is intended for use in a situation 35 where the face of thepanel and the design or lettering applied in relief thereto will at alltimes be clearly visible. Naturally, the permanent lighting cannot betoo intense or the shadow cast by the lateral illumination will not bereadily ap- 0 parent. Ordinarily the light entering through a window orsupplied by the permanent illumination within a room will be entirelyadequate for the general illumination contemplated.

The letters, symbols, or designs used on the 5 panel l0 may be mountedthereon either by casting them with the panel or by embossing, etching,or molding, or by cementing any outout design to the background panel.They may be of any height of projection in relief but their 50 heightwill have an important bearing on their spacing and on the best positionof the lamp. If the projection of the letters or designs from the faceof the panel is relatively slight, the light should be closer to theplane of the panel than 55 is required where the projection of theletters or designs from the panel is very substantial. The object ineither case is to project a substantial shadow but one which will nottouch the next successive letter or part of the design in such a way asto obliterate or confuse the pattern.

The comparison of Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 will show how theillusion isproduced, but it is not a correct portrayal of the appearance whichresults from the illusion. Unlike the attempts which have in the pastbeen made through the use of.

intaglio to produce such illusory effects, the present invention,because of the fact that the design is in relief, does not produce anyappearance of altering the proportions "or spacing of th eletters,strokes, or lines composing the design.' To; the ordinary observer theletters I! making up the word red in the exemplification portrayed" inthe drawings, appear to have bodily movement.

The shank portion [8 of the arrow appears to remain stationary butthe'head l5! thereof appears to move. In allcases the apparent motion isopposite to the direction from which the intermittent illuminationcomes. is extinguished there appears to be a bodily reverse movement ofthe letters and the arrow head toward'the source of light. to merge withthe design in each instance {BX- tend the design but, contrary to Whatwhat be expected, the design does not appear to increase in width. Thisphenomenon is probably due tothe fact that the entire face of the designremains brightly illuminated. This effect exists only. in a design whichappears in relief.

By way of indicating the fact that the direction of movement is alwaysalong a line drawn from the light to-the relief design, I have shown inFigs. 4 and 5 an arrangement whereinthe panel ,ZD'is provided with aportrait drawing 2! from which the eyeballs 22 constitute a designprojecting in relief. The frame 23 contains a series of lamps 24, andsome means (not'illustr'ated in detail) such as a conventional rotaryswitch diagrammatically shown at 25 is used for illuminating these lampssequentially about the consecutive sides of the frame. The result wouldbe to impart a gyratory movement to the eyes of the figure. If themovement desired is not necessarily gyratory but merely an erraticmovement in four directions, thelamps may simply be actuated at randomby separate flashers such as the unit shown at H in Fig. 1.

- In addition to its use as a novelty in the manner illustrated in Figs.4 and 5, the invention has particular importance in the advertisingfield.

The fact that the design is in relief is highly significant in that theonly effect created by the change in lighting is motion. The design willremain clearly legible under all circumstances,

being in this'respect unlikeany other illusory device known to me. Thisfact is particularly significant where the strokes used in making up thedesign or letters are relatively fine. Inall such instances legibilitywould be destroyed but for the fact that the design appears in relief.

As indicated in Figs. 6 and '7, the relief need not be a full relief.letter constituting the symbol or design shall be in relief at that sidefrom which the shadow is to be projected. The symbol 26 in Figs. 6 and 7is wedge-shaped in transverse cross section to merge at 27 with the faceof the background panel IE, but it is in relief at 28 to provide ashoulder for casting the shadow upon which the illusion depends. Thelateral illuminationprovided for When the light The shadow seems It isonly important that the the device shown in Figs. 6 and '7 wouldnaturally require that the source of light be at the left as viewed inthese drawings.

By varying the height of the relief in a direction at right angles tothe path of the light, it is possible to change the form of the shadowand thus to cause an apparent distortion of the symbol. This isillustrated in Figs. 8 and.9 where the symbol 39 has little or noreliefat 3! at its center but is in sharp relief at 32 and 5-33 at therespective ends In this device, or where the symbol constitutesvirtually a straight line, the 3* shadowwill be distinctly curved, thusapparently distorting the symbol each time the light flashes.

While I have referred to natural or relatively permanent illumination asbeing important to the successful use of the invention, I wish to makeit i clear that suchillumination need not necessarily fall upon thepanel solely from the front thereof. I contemplate the possibility ofusing a translucent panel which may be illuminated wholly or partly fromthe rear alternately with the illumination of the relief-design thereonfrom the side'and'front. 1

By way of illustrating one manner of using a translucent panel for thepurposes of this invention, I have shown in Fig. 10 a panel 343 made ofground glass upon whichthe symbols or designs ll appear in relief. Thelateral illumination provided to cast the necessary shadow maybe-furnished by a lamp H5 in alamp house has inzthe constructionillustrated in Fig. l, but the lamp in this instance. is mounteddirectly in its socket IE to remain permanently incandescent for suchperiod as the device "isin operation.

Thebackground illumination, instead of com ing from the front, as in thecase of the other devices herein described, is "provided by asupplemental lamp 43 in a lamp house 44 which confines the lightto'the-translucent panel it. The intensity of the backgroundillumination will be such that when'the lamp 43 is in operation theshadows cast by the light from lamp i5 will not be apparent. i

A flasher 11 controls lamp 43 so that the illumination of the backgroundis only intermittent. When lamp 43 is extinguished .by theusualoperation of the flasher, the sharp shadow cast by the 7 designs inrelief on the face of the panel or light from the lamp I5 willimmediately be apparent. The light l5, it will be understood, need notre main permanently in operation but may be connected to flash on whenthe light 43 is fiashed 01f.

Various other modes of operation will occur to those skilled in theart.= In each case, how ever, the fact that the symbol is in relief tocast a shadow on the-face of the panel will be responsible for thedesired effectwhen the relative illumination provided by the sidelighting and the background lighting respectively is abruptly varied. f

I claim:

1.' The combination witha light background panel and a relatively darkdesign in sharply shouldered shadow-casting relief thereon, of meansforintermittently illuminating such design and panel from the front andside, whereby to produce the illusion of motion of the design withrespect to the-panel. V

2. The combination with a light background panel and a relatively darkdesign in sharply shouldered shadow-casting relief thereon, of means forthe background illumination of-the panel, .means for illuminating 1 thedesign and panel from the front and side to cast the shadow of therelief design on to the face of the panel, and means for abruptlyvarying the relative effect of said illuminating means whereby to renderthe shadow alternately visible and relatively invisible.

3. The combination with a background panel and means for intermittentlyilluminating the face of the panel from the front and side, of a designon the face of the panel shouldered in relief at least at the side ofthe design opposite to the direction from which it is illuminated,whereby such front and side illumination will cast the shadow of saidshouldered portion of the design on to the face of the panel, said paneland the face 'of the design being subject to background illumination;and means for abruptly varying the relative effect of the front and sideillumination with respect to the background illumination, whereby torender such shadow alternately visible and invisible to produce theillusion of motion of the design with respect to the panel.

4. A device of the character described, comprising in combination apanel and a design in relief on the face thereof, the face of the designand the face of the panel being in contrasting colors whereof the panelcolor is the lighter, and means for periodically illuminating the designfrom the front and side, whereby to cast upon the relatively lighterfaceof the panel the shadow of the relief design and thus to produce theillusion of bodily movement of the design with respect to the panel.

5. A device of the character described, comprising the combination Witha panel and a symbol in relief thereon, of a base upon which said panelis mounted, a lamp disposed forwardly and laterally of said symbol andarranged to illuminate the face of the symbol and the face of the panel,a socket for said lamp on the base, and means comprising a flasher unitfor periodically operating said lamp whereby to cast the shadow of therelief symbol on to the face of the panel and thereby to create theillusion of bodily movement of the symbol respecting the panel.

6. A device of the character described, comprising the combination witha translucent panel and a design appearing in relief on the facethereof, of means for illuminating the panel and design from the frontand side, means for the background illumination of the panel from therear, and means for abruptly varying the relative intensity of therespective illuminating means to an extent sufficient to render theshadow cast by the relief design alternately apparent and non-apparent.

7. In a device of the character described, the combination with atranslucent panel and a design projecting in relief from the front facethereof, of means for illuminating said design and panel from the frontand side, a lamp behind the panel of sufficient intensity to rendernon-apparent the shadows cast by the design when subject to illuminationfrom the side, and means for intermittently flashing off the source ofbackground illumination, whereby to leave said shadows sharply apparenton the face of the panel.

8. In a device of the character described, the combination with a panelproviding a background and a design projecting in relief from the frontface thereof, of means for illuminating said design and panel from thefront and side, whereby to project on to the panel background the shadowof a relief portion of said design, a second means of illuminationarranged to direct light on to the background portion of the pan-e1 uponwhich said shadow is cast by the first means of illumination, and meansfor sequentially rendering one of said means of illuminationintermittently effective and non-effective, whereby to render saidshadow alternately apparent and non-apparent as a means of producing theillusion of movement of the design with respect to the panel.

JAMES R. JACKSON.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent No. 2,212,6L 2. August 27, 191w.

JAMES R. JACKSON.

It is hereby certified that. error appears in the printed specificationof the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 2,first column, line 29, for the words "what what" read --what might--;page 5, first column, line 7, claim 5, strike out "intermittently"; andthat the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction thereinthat the same may conform to the record of the case in the PatentOffice,

Signed and sealed this 1st day of October, A. D. 1914.0.

Henry Van Arsdale, (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents.

' CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION. Patent No. 2,2 2,6h2. August 2?, 191m.

JAMES R. JACKSON.

It is hereby certified that. error appears in the printed specificationof the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 2,first column, line 29, for the words "what what" read --what might--;page 5, first column, line 7, claim 5, strike out "intermittently"; andthat the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction thereinthat the same may conform to the record of the case in the PatentOffice.

Signed and sealed this 1st day of October, A. D. 191w.

Henry Van Arsdale, (Seal') Acting Commissioner of Patents.

